Minor League Cricket (MiLC) and Sistar Mortgage have today announced a partnership that will see the nationwide lender become the Presenting Partner of the upcoming series of Minor League Cricket Franchise Exhibition Matches.
As part of the sponsorship, Sistar Mortgage will also have prominent branding on the playing shirts of all 24 Minor League Cricket teams throughout the 2020 series of Franchise Exhibition Matches.
Sistar Mortgage and MiLC enter the partnership as cricket in the United States moves into a highly anticipated new era ahead of the first action on the field for Minor League teams on this Saturday, September 12th.
Fourteen teams will take the field for the first time this weekend, with 12 matches scheduled to take place in four regions across the country. These matches are aimed to provide MiLC teams with some cricket in 2020, with the inaugural full season of Minor League Cricket then set to commence next year in Spring 2021.
The first balls will be bowled in New York and Atlanta on Saturday morning (10:00am EST), with the Empire State Titans hosting the New Jersey Stallions at Idlewild Park in Queens, NY. Simultaneously, Steven Taylor will lead the Atlanta Param Veers in the inaugural Georgia Derby against the Atlanta Fire at the Atlanta Cricket Fields, GA.
Later in the day, the East Bay Blazers and Silicon Valley Strikers will both be looking to establish an early ascendancy over their local rivals in what is shaping up to be an exciting clash at Morgan Hill Sports Complex, CA.
The final match to round out Day 1 of the Exhibition Series will take place under the floodlights of McKinney Cricket Ground in Dallas, TX, with the Austin Athletics heading north up the I-35 to take on the Irving Mustangs.
With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to be felt to various degrees across the country, Southern California and Florida will have their schedules finalized in due course, with matches to only proceed in conjunction with all local county and state authorities’ guidelines, and only if it is safe and possible to do so.
MiLC has drafted appropriate COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocols for all Franchise Exhibition Matches in 2020, with guidance from a licensed medical expert. These are in line with USA Cricket’s Return to Play Guidelines, and all involved will be expected to abide by them, as well as with all local government regulations.
Further details on where to follow these matches will be announced later this week in the lead-up to the opening weekend. Additional dates for further Franchise Exhibition Matches in 2020 will be announced in due course. The schedule for the first two weeks of matches can be found below and further details are provided on the MiLC website here: https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/western-conference-schedule
SCHEDULE
Saturday September 12
| Start
(EST) |
Home Team | Away Team | Venue |
| 1000 | Atlanta Fire | Atlanta Param Veers | Dalton 1, GA |
| 1000 | Empire State Titans | New Jersey Stallions | Idlewild Park, NY |
| 1300 | East Bay Blazers | Silicon Valley Strikers | Morgan Hill Sports Complex, CA |
| 1430 | Atlanta Fire | Atlanta Param Veers | Dalton, GA |
| 1430 | Empire State Titans | New England Eagles | Idlewild Park, NY |
| 1730 | Silicon Valley Strikers | Golden State Grizzlies | Morgan Hill Sports Complex, CA |
| 1900 | Irving Mustangs | Austin Athletics | McKinney Cricket Ground, Dallas, TX |
Sunday September 13
| Start
(EST) |
Home Team | Away Team | Venue |
| 1000 | The Philadelphians | DC Hawks | Evansburg Cricket Ground, PA |
| 1300 | Irving Mustangs | Houston Hurricanes | McKinney Cricket Ground, Dallas, TX |
| 1400 | New England Eagles | New Jersey Somerset Cavaliers CC | Keney Park, CT |
| 1430 | DC Hawks | Empire State Titans | Evansburg Cricket Ground, PA |
| 1700 | Golden State Grizzlies | East Bay Blazers | Morgan Hill Sports Complex, CA |
Saturday September 19
| Start
(EST) |
Home Team | Away Team | Venue |
| 1000 | New Jersey Somerset Cavaliers CC | The Philadelphians | Howe Athletic Complex, NJ |
| 1000 | Atlanta Fire | Atlanta Param Veers | Atlanta Cricket Fields #1, GA |
| 1030 | Houston Hurricanes | Austin Athletics | Prairie View Cricket Complex #1, TX |
| 1300 | Golden State Grizzlies | Silicon Valley Strikers | Arroyo Park, Davis, CA |
| 1400 | DC Hawks | New Jersey Stallions | Strawberry Knoll Park, MD |
| 1430 | The Philadelphians | New England Eagles | Howe Athletic Complex, NJ |
| 1430 | Atlanta Fire | Morrisville Cardinals | Atlanta Cricket Fields #1, GA |
| 1500 | Michigan Cricket Stars | Chicago Blasters | Lyon Oaks Cricket Ground, MI |
| 1530 | Austin Athletics | Irving Mustangs | Prairie View Cricket Complex #1, TX |
| 1730 | Golden State Grizzlies | East Bay Blazers | Arroyo Park, Davis, CA |
Sunday September 20
| Start
(EST) |
Home Team | Away Team | Venue |
| 1000 | New Jersey Stallions | The Philadelphians | Pine Grove Elementary School, NJ |
| 1000 | Atlanta Param Veers | Morrisville Cardinals | Atlanta Cricket Fields #1, GA |
| 1030 | Houston Hurricanes | Irving Mustangs | Prairie View Cricket Complex #1, TX |
| 1400 | New England Eagles | DC Hawks | Pine Grove Elementary School, NJ |
| 1430 | Atlanta Fire | Morrisville Cardinals | Atlanta Cricket Fields #1, GA |
| 1500 | Michigan Cricket Stars | Chicago Catchers | Lyon Oaks Cricket Ground, MI |
| 1530 | Austin Athletics | Houston Hurricanes | Prairie View Cricket Complex #1, TX |